Dr Elaine Jefford is Senior Lecturer in Midwifery and author. Her research focus is within the fields of midwifery decision-making and abdicating one’s professional accountability, and the impacts of this in relation to risk, safety and quality of care provision.
Her program of research has led to strong collaborations in national and international research, service development work and practitioner training initiatives. Other research interests include birth trauma, perinatal mental well-being, deteriorating women, childbirth for incarcerated women and self-compassion.
Dr Jefford has also been involved in national and international midwifery curriculum development and is a member of the Midwifery Accreditation Committee, which is part of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council.
Professional memberships
- International Midwifery Roundtables – Higher Education England
- Trans Tasman Midwifery Education Consortium
- PiPPI (Pregnancy in prison partnership International) - Improving the wellbeing of incarcerated pregnant women through international collaboration
- INTERSECT (International Survey of Childbirth-related Trauma) - This research aims to study birth trauma and PTSD in an international context (Sponsor City University London)
Professional Social Media
- Twitter *
- ORCID *
- Scopus *
- Web of Science *
* This is an external website and the University of the Sunshine Coast is not responsible for the content.
Research grants
| Project name | Investigators | Funding body | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Catching women falling through the gaps: Partnering with women in service redesign to improve mental health in regional areas |
Guy, F., Jomeen, J, Landry, A., Clarke, M., Darby, J., Pilgrim, K, & Jefford, E |
MNCLHD Research Support Program, $15,000 |
2022 |
|
You Matter: Finding your self-compassion education for health professionals. A sequential explanatory mixed methods study |
Steen, M., Jefford, E., Briley, A., Vernon, R, Othman, S & Hutchinson, S |
South Australia Health, $40,000 |
2021 |
|
Abortion doula training fitness for purpose |
Jefford, E., Provost, S, Jomeen, J, Adair, R., Jenkinson, B., & Smith, R. |
Children by Choice Australian Doula College, $6,000 |
2021 |
|
Doula education |
Jefford, E., Adair, R., Provost, S., King-Downie, O., Radlinska, B. |
Department of Industry New South Wales Tech Voucher, $28,000 |
2019 |
|
Mutual trust and respect in the maternity workplace |
Jefford, E., Guy, F., Clarke, M., Stow, W., & Donnelly, J |
MNCLHD Research Support Program, $18,148 |
2019 |
|
Supporting professional development and patient safety through online clinical supervision during (WIL) placements |
Ebert, L., Dowse, E, Forbes, S., McLeod, K, Williams, J., Hainsworth, N., Hollingworth, T., & Jefford, E. |
ACEN Research Chair - Early Career Researcher grant, $4,775 |
2019 |
|
Empowering midwives decision-making |
Jefford, E., Nolan, S., Provost, S., & Jomeen, J (UK) |
Queensland Nursing and Midwifery Union, $30,261 |
2019 |
|
Evaluating an online antenatal education package |
Jefford, E., Sharrock, E., Robson, S., Nolan, S., Provost, S., & Jomeen, J (UK) |
Department of Industry New South Wales Tech Voucher, $10,000 |
2019 |
|
International study experience and developing global collaboration |
Ebert, L., & Jefford, E. |
Australian Government New Colombo Plan, $297,000 |
2018 |
|
Patient outcomes and the acceptability, and effectiveness of telehealth for palliative care patients whilst at home |
Curley, D., Hansaker, S., Jefford, E., Provost, S. |
Mid North Coast Local Health District Culture and Wellbeing Fund, $19,689 |
2018 |
|
What is valued and what matters in the mentorship, leadership and educator(ship) experience in midwifery: An Appreciative Inquiry study |
Ebert, L., Jefford, E., Dewar, B. (UK), Sinclair, P., & Mollart, L. |
Pilot Grants – Strategic Research and Teaching University of Newcastle, $5,500 |
2018 |
|
Appreciative inquiry within an undergraduate midwifery educational program. |
Jefford, E. |
Pat Brodie Australian College of Midwives Research Scholarship, $5,000 |
2018 |
|
Open-ground Wellbeing and Effectiveness Program, |
Rowley, J., Jefford, E & Donnelly |
Mid North Coast Local Health District Culture and Wellbeing Fund, $15,900 |
2016. |
|
Improving midwifery clinical decision-making in perineal management |
Jefford, E., Guy. F, &., Jomeen J. (UK), Martin, C.(UK) |
MNCLHD Research Support Program, $16,447 |
2016 |
|
Reconnecting community members aged 18 – 35 years with Higher Education Providers with the view of encouraging and supporting regional and rural people beyond delivery of one unit of study |
Jefford, E |
Australian Catholic University - Equity Pathways, $97,311 |
2013 |
|
Design creative and engaging pedagogy specifically for students in remote and regional environments & establishing educational sound delivery methodology for this particular unit across all ACU campuses for equity partners |
Jefford, E., & Jomeen, J. |
Australian Catholic University - Equity Pathways, $16,810 |
2013 |
|
Supporting regional and rural people beyond delivery of one unit of study |
Jefford, E |
Australian Catholic University - Equity Pathways, $29,144 |
2013 |
|
Evaluation of designed and delivered pedagogy material is effective in reconnecting community members with Higher Education” |
Jefford, E., & Jomeen, J. |
Australian Catholic University - Equity Pathways, $16,865 |
2013 |
Research areas
- midwifery decision-making and professional accountability
- risk, safety and quality of care provision in midwifery
- birth trauma
- perinatal mental well-being
- deteriorating women
- childbirth for incarcerated women
- self-compassion
Potential research projects for HDR and Honours students
Students are welcome to choose the focus of their HDR work within the field of Dr Jefford's expertise (refer to Research areas).
Supervision
Current
- PhD Candidate Lisa Charmer: Exploring Midwives' Experience of Primary Birth Trauma (Southern Cross University)
Completed
- PhD Simon Senzon: Truth, Lies, and Chiropractic – awarded Chancellor’s medal for outstanding thesis. (Southern Cross University)
- Masters Wendy Augutis: Nurses’ use of Early Warning System vital signs observation charts in rural, remote and regional healthcare settings (Central Queensland University)
Teaching areas
Recent publications
- Ebert, L., Massey, D., Dwyer, T., Flenday, T., Nolan, S., Ferguson, B., Reid-Searl, K., & Jefford, E (2022). Midwives’ Recognition and Response to Maternal Deterioration: A National Cross-Sectional Study. Birth https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12665
- Jefford, E., Stulz, V., Jomeen, J., Hawley, G, Charmer, L., & Davis, D. (2022) Pandemic changes to maternity services - short- and long-term consequences. International Journal of Childbirth https://doi.org/10.1891/IJC-2022-0082
- Jefford, E & Nolan, S. (2022). Two parts of an indivisible whole - Midwifery education and feminism: An exploratory study of 1st year students' immersion into midwifery. Nurse Education Today 119 (2022) 105589 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105589
- Charmer, L., Jefford, E & Jomeen, J. (2021). A scoping review of maternity care providers experience of primary trauma within their personal child birthing journey. Midwifery 102 (103127) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103127
- Jefford, E., Nolan, S., Maier, B & Jomeen, J. (2021). Giving midwives a voice - qualitative perspectives of an ‘empowering decision-making workshop. Journal of Clinical Nursing p1-9 https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15917
- Ebert, L., Dwyer, T., Flenady, T., Guilhermino, M., & Jefford, E. (2020). Australian Midwives’ recognition of and response to maternal deterioration: Scoping review. International Journal of Childbirth 10(2) p92-103 http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/IJCBIRTH-D-20-00004
- Jefford, E., Nolan, S., Munn, J & Jefford Ebert, L. (2020). What matters, what is valued and what is important in mentorship through the Appreciative Inquiry process of co-created knowledge. Nurse Education Today 99 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104791
- Jefford, E., Nolan, S. & Jomeen, J. (2020) Is the concept of Midwifery Abdication evident in Australian case law? – A systematic review of legal literature, court/tribunal decisions and coronial findings International Journal of Childbirth 10(4) p1-17 http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/IJCBIRTH-D-20-00038
- Zhai, J., Jefford, E., &. Tyer-Viola, L., Joseph, H., Ebert, L., (2020). Differences and Similarities between Chinese and American Women’s experiences of Stress Urinary Incontinence and Health Seeking Behaviours during Pregnancy. International Journal of Childbirth 10(4) 198 -205
- Martin, C., Jefford, E., & Hollins-Martin, C. (2020). Crisis, what crisis? Replicability of the key measurement characteristics of the Australian version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R). International Journal of Childbirth 10(3) 140-150
- Ebert, L., Dwyer, T., Flenady, T., Guilhermino, M., & Jefford, E. (2020). Australian Midwives’ recognition of and response to maternal deterioration: Scoping review. International Journal of Childbirth 10(2) p92-103 http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/IJCBIRTH-D-20-00004
- Mathews, S., Mozolic-Staunton, B., Jefford, E., & Salehi, N. (2020) Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and Early Childhood Intervention: A Comprehensive Systematic Review. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools & Early Intervention. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2020.1744210
- Cornelius, J., Doran, F., Jefford,. & Salehi, N. (2020). Patient Decision Aids in clinical practice for people with diabetes: A scoping review. Diabetology International
Dr Elaine Jefford’s specialist areas of knowledge include midwifery, women’s health, perinatal well-being, education.